THE woman suspected of poisoning three family members with a deadly Christmas cake, may be behind at least ten other poisoning incidents, including an attempt on her own husband’s life.
Deise Moura was arrested and is being charged of of triple murder and attempted murder after the deaths of her husband’s aunts and cousin.
Deise Moura, 39, has been arrested on suspicion of triple murder and attempted murder
Jam PressThe Christmas dessert is feared to have been laced with arsenic[/caption]
Zeli (centre) and her sisters Maida (right) and Neuza (left) who both died from the ‘killer cake’Facebook/Zeli Dos Anjos
The cake was eaten during a family Christmas party at mother-in-law Zeli’s home on December 23.
It claimed the lives of Zeli’s sisters Maida, 58, and Neuza, 65, as well as Neuza’s daughter, 43-year-old Tatiana.
And now, authorities say they have discovered even darker details.
Just days before the infamous cake deaths, Moura reportedly poisoned her husband, Diego dos Anjos, with a glass of arsenic-laced juice, according to Brazilian outlet Band.
When she realised their son had also drunk it, she rushed to make him vomit, while her husband became seriously ill.
Both will undergo forensic examinations in the coming days.
Police are now investigating at least 10 potential poisonings connected to Moura, including several deaths and attempts, stretching back to her father-in-law’s death and even her own dad’s death in 2020.
A post-mortem revealed that father-in-law Paulo Luiz dos Anjos, who died suddenly, had also ingested arsenic.
His death had originally been brushed off as food poisoning, but new evidence suggests otherwise.
The poisoned cake, which contained arsenic, is now at the centre of the investigation.
For now, cops have linked Deise Moura to four deaths: Neuza, Maida and Tatiana, who ate the poisoned cake, as well as Paulo’s.
She is also suspected of three other attempted murders: her mother-in-law Zeli, Tatiana’s son and Maida’s husband, who ate the cake and needed medical attention.
Investigators are exploring the possibility that Zeli, who survived the poisoning, was also targeted with arsenic-laced food while in hospital, Band reports.
The authorities are now analysing several food items that Deise delivered to Zeli, including juice and pastries, to confirm the presence of poison.
The bitter daughter-in-law also reportedly searched online for arsenic in the days leading up to the tragedy.
Brazilian officials revealed that an initial analysis of Moura’s phone uncovered searches for “arsenic” and related terms on Google shopping.
With investigators now linking her to 10 poisonings in total, Deise dos Anjos is now being dubbed a ‘serial killer’ by the police.
Authorities confirmed that the source of the poisoning was flour contaminated with arsenic at “extremely high concentrations” – levels that were lethal and far too high to be naturally occurring.
Zeli Terezinha Silva dos Anjos was the only sister to survive the deadly cakeFacebook
FacebookA post-mortem confirmed Zeli’s husband Paulo had also ingested arsenic[/caption]
The cake, eaten during a family Christmas party on December 23 in Torres, claimed the lives of Zeli’s sisters Maida, 58, and Neuza, 65, as well as Neuza’s daughter, 43-year-old Tatiana.
Forensic experts determined the toxic substance had been deliberately introduced.
Police were also investigating a 20-year history of disagreements between Moura and Zeli.
While the details remain undisclosed, investigators believe the strained relationship may have motivated the poisoning.
“We knew there had been minor disagreements between the suspect and elements of the family for several years,” said police chief Marcus Vinicius Veloso.
“On the face of it all those at the party were close and harmonious but when we extended our investigations we found motives that were probably behind this poisoning.”
Moura reportedly searched for ‘arsenic’ and related terms on Google Shopping
Tatiana Denize Silva dos Anjos passed away after suffering a cardiac arrestJam Press
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